Improvement in rocking grate-bars



F. B. STEVENS. Rocking-Grate Bars:

Patented Nov. 11, 1879.

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FRANCIS B. STEVENS, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROCKING GRAT E-BARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,430, dated November11, 1879 application filed April 1 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS B. STEVENS, of Hoboken, State of New Jersey,have invented a Rockin g Grate-Bar, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the kind of gratebars that are made to rock forthe purpose of cleaning the fire and freeing it from ashes; and itconsists in forming two projections or journal-bearings on each of thelower ends of the ordinary fish-bellied or other grate-bar, that fitinto and rest in two corresponding rounded socket-bearin gs in thebearer-bar, the grate-bar being made to move from this position and torock in each of these two sockets to the right and left alternately, sothat the upper part of the grate-bar, when this bar is rocked to theright hand, overhangs the.

right-hand socket, in which the bar rests and turns, and so that theupper part of the gratebar, when this bar is rocked to the left-hand,overhangs the left-hand socket, in which the bar rests and turns.

I form two projections on the lower side of each end of each bar, andmake these projections rest in corresponding sockets made in thebearers, on which the bars rest at their two ends, so that theseprojections and sockets will act like the double hinge of a door thatcan be opened from either direction.

Figure 1 is a horizontal view of a double grate-bar with the projectionscast thereon. Fig. 2, on the same scale as Fig. 1, is a lateral view ofthe same bar. Fig. 3, on the same scale as Fig. 1, is a front viewot'three of these bars, and shows, also, the bearer at the front of thefurnace on which these grate-bars rest.

a a are cross-pieces connecting the two bars that form the doublegrate-bar at the ends. I) is a cross-piece connecting them in themiddle. 0 is the bearer in front of the furnace, on which the grate-barsrest. d d are the boiler-legs at the side of the furnace. e and f arethe circular projections forming the bearin gs on the lower ends of thegrate-bars. g and h are the corresponding sockets or journal-bearings inthe bearer. k is apiece of iron fitted over the cross-piece a, on theend 1 of which the rocking-handle m fits.

The operation is as follows: When the gratebar rests in its levelposition both projections e and f rest in their sockets g and h, andthus keep the bar at its proper distance from the adjacent bars, asshown in the two outside bars in Fig. 3. When the bar is rocked ortilted by the rocking-handle it can take the position shown in Fig. 3 bythe middle bar,

where the projection f is lifted out of its socket h, and where theprojection e remains in its socket g, and forms a hinge or center, onwhich the bar turns until the upper part of the bar overhangs the center0 and is brought in contact with the adjacent bar. When the bar isallowed to fall from this tilted position it will regain its originallevel position.

If the bar should be tilted in the other di-- rection from that shown,the projection e will leave the socket g, and the projection f will restin the socketjz. The grate-bar can thus be made to turn or rock in eachof the-two sockets as centers of rotation alternately, and the asheswill be disturbed and fall.

Fig. 4 (original drawings) is on a scale of half the actual size, and isa cross-section and view of the same bar shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5, on thesame scale as Fig. 4, is a side view of the same bar. Fig. 6, on thesame scale as Fig. 4, shows a difi'erent method of attaching therocking-handle. Here the crosspiece 0. extends to the end of the twobars, as shown by the dotted line n n n, so that a hole can be put in toreceive the handle 0, by which the bar can be rocked.

I am aware that many forms of grate-bars arranged to rock on a centerhave been patented.

I am also aware that grate-bars have been patented in which the fiatends were confined in rectangular recesses made in the bearer in suchmanner that each side of these flat ends could be alternately lifted andlowered; but this grate bar could not be made to rock so that the upperpart of the grate-bar would overhang the center on which it turned.

I claim In combination with a rocking grate-bar, two projections orjournalhearings on the lower edge of the end, the bar fitting into andresting in two corresponding rounded socketbearings in the bearer-bar,and forming two points on which the bar is made to rock, sub stantiallyas described.

. FRANCIS B. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

L. W. BROW'N, I AIGELTINGER.

